Time is Flying By

Time flies when you are having fun….I think that is a very fitting slogan for what we are experiencing having Jade apart of our lives.  Of course there are always those stressful components to life with many ups and downs but each and every one of them is made bearable by our little gal.

This month has just flown by…maybe that had to do with the fact we were pretty darn busy; people to see, places to go and things to do…

Hmmmm, having a hard time thinking back to the beginning of the past month and exactly what happened;   So  much of it had to do with settling into our new place I think but there was lots of running around to do as well.  We had another couple of sessions of Roots of Empathy and yet again Jade wowed the kids with her constant smiles and rolling around.  The kids asked if I could put her in this little chair they have and let her sit by herself.  So there was Jade, sitting in this chair, with only me holding her hand and keeping watch, and had her little arms up on the arm rests, taking in all that was happening around her.  At the last session, Jade was wearing her little dress from Aunty Ashlee and the teacher could not stop taking pictures and had to stop everyone in the middle to bring attention to her outfit.  I had to laugh to myself that I have a daughter who is dressed to the nines and there is me, who is far from fashionable….guess we offset each other perfectly :)

Jade and I got a visit from Carla and thankfully the weather was nice so off we went for a wee wander in the new neighbourhood.  It’s great to be reconnecting with such important people who have been in my life for so long.  We also had the chance to meet up with Manisha which was an unexpected but great visit.

We also made a trip over to the Island to visit Opa and Oma.  Ted put it so perfectly “it just melts your heart seeing Jade in his arms”; referring to Jade in his dad’s arms.  It must be his big, kind heart and warm touch (both literally and figuratively) that cause Jade to just relax and savour every minute with him.  He got her belly laughing more than once which is a task in itself.  We had gone over hoping to watch the Santa Clause parade downtown but unfortunately plans didn’t pan out for that; which may have been a blessing in disguise as it allowed us more time to spend with Opa.  Oma’s cat got a welcoming fur pull from Jade and thankfully she took it well and remained calm; while Jade on the other hand got that big smile and all giggly.  

This past month also included the western finals as well as the Grey Cup.  We tried our best to get Jade on the big screen but we were only able to get in the background of some shots at the Grey Cup.  However, apparently my aunt got on TSN while holding Jade but we never got to see that.  For the Grey Cup, Jade had to have been the best little & future fan of the Lions, dressed in her own personal jersey and cheering along with us.  The atmosphere there was utterly amazing, nothing could beat it, not even the Stanley Cup….tough to say that but it is just so true. I would have to say Ted and I probably held Jade the least at the football games; I think my Aunty Jill kidnapped her for the majority of the games, lol.  

Woooheeee we had a mega code brown last week.  The poor little gal had not gone for over a week and it was like a plug was released and that was the end. First time all over my mom and, I swear, not more than an hour after her bath, she did it on me.  I must say I am still at an utter loss as to how such a small thing can hold that much waste for that long, I cannot imagine what is going on in that stomach of hers.  It would appear that these code browns always occur when or shortly after, Jade is playing in her “circle of neglect”; thus, my mom has now deemed it the pooping machine.  I guess it has to do with the gravity and being able to hang her legs…hmmmmm..YUCK!!!!

This was also the month of our visit to the doctor, we all know how much fun the doctor is.  Okay, well it really is not that bad with Jade as she seems to actually quite enjoy it and laughs through it.  She is now 6.2 kg (13.6 lbs.) and 25.5” (64cm).  The little bugger was grabbing at everything in the doctor’s office, including the sheet that was on the scale for her weighing.  Anywho, Jade is a healthy but small gal who continues to progress along her little growth curve and make all the gains needed.  In addition to the doctor, the poor gal had to get her 6 month shot as well.  I don’t know why I say poor girl because she actually seems to enjoy them…well the best one could.  The nurse poked her, Jade’s face looked shocked then she broke out in a huge smile, started talking away and laughing.  The nurse said they don’t get many babies like that and Jade may just be her favourite….ya, not sure if that is really normal for a baby to laugh at their shots.  It was pretty cute though afterwards when we had to wait the 15min after the shots in the waiting room and a little 4 month who was screaming was there too.  Jade was talking up a storm to her and this little one just stared at her kind of like…what is wrong with you, we just got shots :).  Ya, the whole idea that she may sleep longer after her shots definitely didn’t ring true; rather, it was the complete opposite. I do not think we got more than a few 20min spans of sleep that night. 

The fun began this past month with the introduction to solid food….oh what a messy, messy adventure.  We have just been doing the rice cereal thus far but by the end of each attempt, Jade probably has half of it all over her face, clothes and my clothes and maybe the other half in her belly.  Do not think we will be having much trouble with food and this little gal as she likes to stick her head forward and basically just asking for it to be put in her mouth.  Of course she does like to play with the food as well, but what kind doesn’t? lol.  I have to say though, this thing I am continually told that she will sleep longer once she starts eating does not seem to be ringing true just yet. 

Jade continues to be a little explorer to her best ability.  There is definitely no staying in one place when playing on her carpet or blanket; rather, she maneuvers herself around by rolling and ends up in awkward places like half under the chair or on the hard floor.  She is also loving to grab at anything she can and of course putting what she can into her mouth.  The other day I had out my stethoscope to let my mom listen to my wee murmur whilst she was holding Jade.  Jade kept trying to grab the stethoscope until my mom took it off and put it down at which point Jade just started screaming.  My mom had not realized Jade had been grabbing at it so was curious what happened; it was not until I gave her back the stethoscope that the screaming ceased and laughing began….can we say princess, lol?  She also likes to flail her arms and throw her toys around…of course screams when the toy is no longer in her possession; only stopping when it is returned to her.  Hope this is not a sign of things to come, lol.  She still loves watching Glee and Ellen with my mom and is mesmerized by BabyTV.

Watching Glee

Jade’s awareness to certain people’s voices continues to amaze me and is also quite heartwarming.  She instantly smiles when she hears her daddy’s voice, grandma’s or grandpa’s as well as someone I know out in White Rock.  She gets the BIGGEST smile on her face when she sees her diva buddy Riley.  It was pretty cute the other night when we were over at my parents for dinner and Ted, my mom, Riley and I were all in the back room listening to music on Apple TV.  Jade was really enjoying herself and even got into playing the guitar that Riley and Ted were playing…her daddy is grooming her young.  That continued a couple of weeks later when Ted was playing for Jade and I then took a break.  I put Jade up to the guitar and Ted played some chords while Jade did the strumming…purrrty cute stuff going on.

Of course it is the beginning of December and thus it’s the beginning of the Christmas season.  Growing up, my dad always did an amazing job on hanging the lights at our place and this year was no different.  I mention all this because every year he tries to add something new and this year had to have been one of the most special things.  Being that Jade’s “theme” is giraffe’s, we found a Christmas giraffe at Canadian Tire and when we went over there, low and behold my dad had bought it….all for his little granddaughter.  Ted also had the opportunity to do a little more with the lights this year seeing as we have more than just a railing to hang a few lights on.  He did an awesome job and Jade took quite the little gander around when she and I went out there to check it all out and give our approval J.  One of the first little gifts Jade ever got was from one of my best friends who lives in Indiana, Krissi.  Aunty Krissi bought her a Christmas ornament and so last night Jade attempted to hang it on our fake tree (ugh, I HATE fake trees) but of course it kind of made it to her mouth rather than the tree, lol.  She will have another attempt at hanging an ornament this year as she does have one at my parents as well.  We have yet to see Jade's stocking but I have no doubt it is amazing as I would not trust anyone else to buy one without us but Charlene....thank you :)

Jade’s 7month “birthday” (no we don’t celebrate the monthly milestones) was spent in the evening with her Aunty Rachel and Uncle Tim who she had not seen for a little while.  A very nice evening indeed, for all including the princess.  Of course, Jade was probably enamored the most with the dog….seems to be who she finds she can talk to most, lol.  Jade loves them all though and when they move away, she will no doubt miss them…which means many visits.  Tim just received the official call and will be headed to bootcamp on February 6^th.  We are sooooo proud of him!!!!  That was also the night the little princess decided she would have a little 2 hour nap from 11pm-1am then stay up until 4:45am giggling away and wanting to play.  One would think that she would be one very cranky baby considering the little amount of sleep that she gets but that is far from true.  This little monster woos people with her giant smile and continuous giggles at all hours of the day and right into the night.  

3:45am

Well I guess I have written an essay here with not a whole lot to share so I shall bring this blog entry to a close.  I look forward to updating you all in the next one as it will include all the details of Jade’s first Christmas.  This is by far the most special Christmas…even though she will have no real clue as to what is going on, the meaning behind it all will be there and it will be the beginning of a new tradition.  We spent last Christmas on the Island and thus this year we will be at my parents which will be pretty neat for them.  Aunty Ashlee will be home from the 23^rd-28^th which will be great…she will get plenty of cuddles in with her lil’ nut indeedeeo.  This week also is when I have to go in for surgery and will be forced to spend a night in hospital which means my first night away from Jade.  I know Ted will be awesome with her but it’ll be hard, a change which are always hard.  Anywho, I will bid you all adieu until 2012.  Have a very Merry Christmas!!!!

Half an Annum :)

Wow, half an annum has come and gone….time really does fly when you are having a good time.  It’s utterly amazing how much one little being can change both physically and personably in such a short amount of time.  I have said it before and I will say it again, this is my calling in life and I have enjoyed every single minute of it. 

This past month has been a very busy one and full of both highs and lows.  Ted’s grandpa passed away early in the month which brought his side of the family together for the funeral.  It was for sure a tough time for Ted to see such a strong man leave us but one thing we are very thankful is that his grandpa got to meet Jade and spend sometime holding her.  As many people have said before, families are often brought together by funerals and weddings and this was no different.  Though it was a time of sadness, it was also a time of celebrating the man he was and a time for the family, from all over B.C. and all the way to Saskatchewan, to all be together in one place at the same time.  

 

We spent much of the month preparing to move…from packing boxes to trips to the bank and notary to purging unneeded junk, the to-do list never seemed to end.  NO doubt everyone out there knows how much fun moving is; especially, the prep.  I swear you think you have packed so much then you look around and the place still looks pretty much the same….ugh.  Thankfully we had some great friends…Steve, Peter, Hussein, Val, Chris, Mette and Mike in addition to me pops and Meg to help us in the move.  Most frustrating part for me was that I could not do any lifting because of a little surgery I had so felt horrible that everything was left for Ted and the others to do.  I must admit though, not too sure how much help I would have been with Jade who was wide awake and seeking some love everyday of the move.  

Right, Jade, the reason you are reading this.  She continues to develop her personality and grow into her own little gal.  The little missy is continually reaching out for things, especially those that she can put in her mouth….including her own toes which she has taken to sucking on.  She is enjoying her playtime on the floor, kicking and rolling around.  You turn your head for two seconds and she will have completely have shifted spots, at one time ending up under the table, all the while smiling away.  One of her favourite things to do is put the blanket over her face and laugh away to herself.  She is also talking a lot more, okay well maybe not in any language we can understand but it seems to be a great one way conversation with who or whatever will have one with her.  I must give full cudo’s to Meg though as she seems to get Jade to talk to the fullest.  

 

I cannot say exactly what it is, but there is something about gingers that draws Jade in.  I swear every ginger we know or have come across, she becomes enamored with them…stranger or not.  I guess if she is not going to be a ginger herself then at least she has a soft spot for them…I should say us.

There was lots of family visiting over the past month.  As mentioned previously, Jade met with the majority of Ted’s side at the funeral; many of whom she had not met but one important one, Opa, with whom she soundly slept in his arms.  Oma was not well that visit but came over on moving day so Jade got sometime with her.  Then the quality time with Uncle Tim, Aunty Rachel and their pooch, with who Jade had a laughing spell with at his expense.  Tim got Tier going, playfully growling and Jade could not get enough of it, just giggling away.  This little gal definitely has no fear of big dogs; rather, she seems to love them, especially Dexter and Tier.

She is in love with her toys for sure....whether it be her "circle of neglect", to the bumbo, to the jolly jumper or just playing on the floor with various toys.

This past month also brought a visit with my lifelong friend Leanne and her daughter Kenzie who will hopefully be Jade’s lifelong friend.  It was definitely a long overdue visit and a first for the two little ones. Another visit with Aunty Laine and Aunty Sandra to ring in a birthday for the latter and an official introduction to the current Boozehounds team; at least, who stuck around after the game. There was also the venture out with Patti and Brittany which was nice.

I must mention here one of the greatest and most sentimental gifts Jade has received was given to her this past month.  Uncle Peter personally created and designed a cd for her chalked full of Queen songs.  If anyone remembers, I have mentioned Jade’s love for Queen and the calming effect it has on her.  In fact, just the other day I was driving home from an appointment and she was just screaming away in the back seat so I popped in the cd and, I swear, it was instantaneous that she calmed down and stopped crying.  For those who do not know Peter, he is Ted’s best friend and a devout Queen fan.

  It is really amazing the effect she has on the grade 2 students.  Close to a month later one of the young lads remembered that Jade did not like her car seat because she likes to move around lots and probably hates being strapped in.  They are so enthralled with Jade from the moment she enters the room to the moment she leaves; continually asking questions, making comments and smiling all the while.  We have also now made two visits for assisting in the education for the teachers who will be doing the Seeds of Empathy.  NO matter whether we are doing the Roots of Empathy or the Seeds of Empathy, everyone seems to fall in love with Jade and she reciprocates the feelings by laughing and looking around at everyone and everything.

Speaking of looking around, Jade is so curious about the world around her.  She continues to fight sleeping as she would rather be experiencing the world around her and what it has to offer.  Any new noise or action grabs her attention and makes her turn her head to watch or listen.  I must admit that it continues to be the most amazing thing when she recognizes our voices and turns to look at us with the biggest smile on her face.  I guess it is also pretty neat to see her do the same thing to my parents :) That giggle she showed us when Tim got Tier playfully growling was again brought out when jade and my mom were sitting side by side on the couch watching Ellen.  I looked over to see the two of them in utter hysterics over something but I have no idea what as I was too taken aback by the site of them.  The love between Jade and my dad only continues to grow and I think he could easily take her from us if we left him to :) He gets down there on the floor, on her blanket and plays away with her or rushes to eat dinner when we are over there so he can whisk her away…of course he tries to make it seem like he is just doing us a favour so we can enjoy our dinner…..hmmmmm, right dad, that’s the reason; definitely not that you just want to have her to yourself.  It is pretty neat to see Jade smile whenever I show her a picture of her Aunty Ashlee and mention her name at that point.  Guess we’ll have to do that with her Uncle Tim soon once he ventures out to basic training.

Jade took quite a liking to baseball during the month of October with the playoffs taking place.  Not sure if it was the game or the cute guys though that grabbed her attention more; okay maybe it was neither :) I took Jade to one of our hockey games when I was unable to play but Ted was still out there.  Unfortunately she seemed more interested in trying to see the World Series final baseball game on television than watching the Boozehounds.  What can I say, must have been because I was not out there playing…lol, joking.

Due to our busy schedule with the move and everything, we have not consistently gone to our Mother Goose program on Thursday mornings.  Cannot say we have made a great effort to make it on the busy days either as neither of us seem to overly enjoy it.  For me, it seems like the other mom’s seem to know one another thus on break there are all these little groups chatting away about whatever then Jade and I in our own world. For Jade, she has been fairly fussy most of the time at the group which is usually not like her.

Sleep you ask, how is that going?  Well it was not going too well up until our move into our new place.  The first night remained the same as before but the next two nights she slept for six straight hours…..yes, you read that correctly, six straight hours.  However we were not holding our breath as she has done that before for two nights then went way back in her short lifespan and did the two hour thing.  Arg, it happened again after those two nights but then again, back to six hours….wooohooo, maybe we have finally turned the corner….fingers crossed.  So far, so good, must be living on the North Shore that is a key to the sleep thing here.  Now we have figured out that all she needs to sleep well is to be in North Van, and to stop crying Jade needs some Queen and a boob.  I will not speak further of the sleep as I do not want to jinx any success :)

Halloween fell in this six month period and we did partake to an extent.  My papa bought Jade a costume and it suit her to a tee.  We dressed her up and took her off to papa’s place to do some trick or treating then over to Meg’s.  It was sooooo cute, my papa gave her a little Halloween bag but instead of candy there were a couple of little toys in it which Jade loved.  I would say our first Halloween was a success and next year I guess we will have to dress up with her.

Best thing yet happened this month, a giggle fit.  When I say giggle fit, I mean extreme fit…double the previous mentioned ones. I was holding Jade on the couch and Ted would continually pop up from behind it.  Jade would be startled initially but then just start giggling away, the more Ted popped up, the harder Jade laughed.  In turn, we were all in complete hysterics….good times, good times indeed. Unfortunately we have been trying to get her going again to film it but we have had no such luck as I think she just likes to toy with us and bring out her “you only film me when I want to” attitude.

Continuing with the humourous discussion, I think we have discovered a way in which Jade likes to enamour those most important to her with her love.  Any guesses? Maybe you got it, yep via a mega explosion J On more than one occasion this past month, Jade has shiat on my mom…of course displaying a huge smile afterwards.  This enduring act has only been bestowed upon a very select few but witnessed by some more.  Not too sure what is really going on with her tummy, but it is almost as though there is a kink somewhere that she just can’t get things past for quite some time. However, when she does, man oh man does she ever.  In the meantime, Jade just toots away and makes you want to vacate the area….some like to say she takes after one of her parents in that aspect but we won’t divulge who exactly.

As this blog comes to an end I think about what will be included in the next one.  We will be starting food this month, preparing for Christmas, another round of shots, my mom’s birthday, hopefully a housewarming party and whatever else our little angel brings our way to share with you. :)

5 Months Already????

Yep, another month has passed us by and Jade continues to grow, not only physically but also personality.  Jade and I have had the opportunity to join a great program called Roots of Empathy/Seeds of Empathy where we go into classrooms in elementary school to meet with the kids.  It is  a program that has been shown to reduce levels of aggression in the kids while raising their social/emotional competence and increasing empathy.  We have gone into the classroom once and also but had the chance to take part in the instructor/facilitator training.  I must say Jade was perfect; she did everything she was supposed to do and wooed them all at the training :).  The first classroom visit was the day after her shots so she was a little fussy but still pretty good.

Jade is now able to roll over from her back to stomach and vice versa.  Once she makes it onto her stomach, she seems to like to stay there and push herself up with her arms.  Well that WAS what she liked, she now loves being on her back; guess she can see more from her back.  It is definitely only a matter of time before this kid is crawling and we are in big trouble when that happens.  Jade is soooooo curious and will no doubt be getting into everything she has access to. She is always grabbing things and often tries putting her hands into my food including my ice-cream.

Everyone always asks about sleep.....ummmm if that is something that happens for more the 3 or 4 hours a night on a consistent basis, I can't say I really know what that is.  This girl fights with all her might not to sleep during the day and thus naps are a very foreign concept.  If she does have a nap, it is cat nap; we still try to have some downtime though and lie down for a bit where we can just to get some rest in.  The night I started writing this, amazing enough the little missy slept for something like 6 hours and the next night is was around 5 hours.  Really???  We were sooo excited, did she turn the corner and would now be sleeping a little more?  Ummm, wishful thinking for sure as that quickly went down to averaging maybe 2 hours straight and that is it.  I swear she likes to have all the control, especially over me.  On a number of occasions, I would put her down to bed then stay up for about a half hour and I swear as soon as I got myself ready to jump into bed, she would wake up....ahhhhh, lol.

Wide awake at midnight...all fun & games in her little world

Aunty Ashlee was in town for a week which meant lots of time to be spent together for those two.  I was sooo happy Ashlee got to spend sometime with Jade as I know it kills Ashlee and I that she isn't here to see Jade every week.  Ashlee has been and will always be a huge part of my life; someone I have always been proud to call my sister, mentor and best friend so it's tough not having her here.  however, we know she is doing a huge thing doing her residency in Edmonton (just living there is a sacrifice in itself) and are sooooo flipping proud of her.....Dr Dobbe (Dr Aunty Ashlee) :).

Jade also got to meet a very good friend of ours Tasha and her little gal, whom she took quite a liking to.  We also got out with Aunty Sandra and Tyrone, and another visit with Aunty Laine.  Jade also welcomed the guests for our final UFC event in our before we move


It is utterly amazing how much babies develop in such a short amount of time.  Several people have been saying how Jade is like a little person now, that there is so much more to her than the last time they saw her.  She is now grabbing at things, rolling over like I mentioned, constantly talking away, and of course slobbering allllll over the place.  She has Sophie to gnaw on, well two Sophies I should say.  That would be because I killed the squeaky thing in the first one when I was sanitizing it after it spent sometime on the floor of a restaurant.  Heaven forbid Jade not have the best, lol, so my mom (grandma) tended to that and bought her a new one.  It's quite awesome I must say, Jade has Sophie and Jerry to tote around with her....her two little giraffes.

The little stinker has also started playing in what several people refer to as "the circle of neglect".  I think she likes to just sit and watch was is going on around her rather than actually play but it occupies her for a few minutes no matter what she is doing.  I guess the other latest and greatest baby product is the Bumbo.  My mom and I are sitting at her place one day when we get a call from my dad.  He was phoning to tell us that Jade needed a Bumbo as the ladies at work said so.  Ten minutes later he calls back asking if we were going to get one or he should go get it because if you spent a certain amount at Babies R Us, you got a free Sophie.  I never thought my dad would be calling us to tell us what Jade needed but I guess it really should not have surprised me.  I have said it before and will say it again, Jade has definitely stolen my dads heart.  I loved it when he opened his birthday presents.  Quietly moving along, opening the presents and the cards until he came across an extra card and a huge smile came across his face...."Ohhhh, a card from Jade too".  LOVE IT!!!!  I don't even need to really talk about my mom and Jade.  They are like two peas in a pod.  It's indescribable what it is like to see Jade's face light up with a huge smile whenever she sees grandma or hears her voice. I think Jade's favourite person to change her has to be grandma.  She is the one who takes the risk of leaving the diaper off and lets Jade go to town in her birthday suit and kick up a storm.

Jade is also responding to the wookie call of her daddy and uncle Tim.  Ted will sometimes wookie into the phone when he calls home from work and Jade looks around with a huge smile on her face; you just know she knows who it is.  When daddy and uncle do it together Jade seems a little confused at first but then loves it.  We definitely have a little princess on our hands who wants complete and total control, lol.  Everytime Ted comes to give me a kiss goodbye, goodnight or whatever, Jade will stick her hand up to his face and push at him, lol.  One of Jade's favourite things is flying with daddy...although, not too sure if you can really call it flying or it is more just going up with some robotic noises and movements.  Whatever it is, the two of them have a great time with each other doing it....of course it is all fun and games until the drool gets into the eyes.

Last weekend Jade got to be a part of the opening of B.C. Place when we went to the Lions Game.  Of course, she was the major attraction and we had people coming over from other sections to tell us how cute she was.  Yep, I am bragging, sorry.  What a great game and great experience to be able to look back on and say we were there.  Two days later, Jade got to see her first soccer game when we took her to our first Whitecaps game of the season.  Though the game was the pits, the atmosphere was great. 

This past month also was time for her shots....well we were a little late but she got them done nonetheless.  Thankfully Jade was not quite so sinister this time as she did not laugh at the crying babies.  The poke was hard on her but of course she was all smiles by the time we left the center 15 minutes later. Unlike the last time, the next couple of days were not quite so nice to poor Jade.  The day after she had a little bit of a fever and the following day nothing was staying in her...poor girl had a very nasty case of the runs and was unable to settle.  As Ted said "we can now say we have experienced a sick baby".  Must say, she was quite the trooper and through it all still tried to smile as much as she could but clearly was not herself.  Will never know if it was because of the shots or not but not something I would wish on any little baby.

Alrighty, so I am clearly all over the place here and just babbling along so maybe I should think about bringing this blog post to a bitter end.  For all those wondering, we Finally sold our place; albeit for not even close to the asking price but the stress of not knowing is gone at least & we can live in a place that looks like a baby lives here too.  We have the bumbo, the swing, the lying down toy, stuffed animals...ahhh, I love it.  I swear we are cursed in the real-estate and I hope we do not have to deal with it again anytime soon.  Ted is still enjoying his full time job at Tom Lee and continues with his couple of classes.  I am kept busy with our non sleeping angel & trying to be the dutiful housewife but no doubt not always the greatest at that part.  I spend most of my days at my parents which helps me stay on track and also gets Jade and I out and about.  Furthermore, it lets me help out with my mom's work where possible and reacquaint myself with my old hood.   

October 10th marked 5 months for Jade and 2 yrs of marriage for us.  We did our own special thing at home....ordered in pizza, watched a show and had pumpkin pie blizzards; but will go out for a nice dinner and maybe a night away in the near future.  We've had an eventful two years of marriage but it's two years I wouldn't trade for anything.

The Saga Continues

Whhhooooaaaaa!!!!  Honestly time does fly by when you are watching you're watching your little one grow.  I know people always said that time is a blur but never did I believe it to this extent....4 months has just flown by.  Wouldn't say a whole lot happened during this past month but there were many unforgettable and great moments of course.

Jade has continued to grow into a unique little gal, with one wickedly awesome personality.  If her current amount of talking says anything, we are going to have a little chatterbox on our hands.  She will sit and have descriptive & in depth conversations with whoever takes the time to listen and engage with her. I have to say, one of my favourite stories of someone excited to hear her talk was with my dad.  They had brought Dexter out for a walk and afterwards we went to Starbucks to have a coffee.  My dad sat out side with Dexter and Jade in her car seat while my mom and I went in to get some drinks for us all.  When we came out my dad just had this glowing smile and was raving about how Jade hadn't stopped talking to him since we went in.  This was a far cry from the fussiness he had endured a few evening before when we were at their place.  I think this little one has totally won my dad's heart over; the amount of time he spends with her when we are visiting, telling my mom to leave her be while we were out for dinner to actually playing with her and not paying attention to the football game when him and I took her to the Lions game.  It is so neat to see my dad this attached to her, words can't describe it.  I can now see just how great he was with me when I was a baby...so lucky to have an amazing dad.

I spend a lot of time over on the North Shore while Ted is at work so a lot of time with the family.  Both Jade and I love hanging out at my parents...I get to relax and she gets spoiled, what more could we ask for?  Take note that when I say spoiled, it is primarily with love and cuddles not all about the materialistic spoiling :)  It's pretty neat to walk into their place and Jade knows exactly where we are and recognizes both my parents faces and voices; she gets pretty excited.  We spent a week at their place while they were in Hawaii and man I can't wait to get back there permanently.  Walking outside and people smiling at you and saying hi, something you don't get much of out this way.  As Ted keeps saying, this is the life...sitting out on the back patio, hearing the birds and the wind instead of the highway traffic...LOVE IT!!!!!!

We have been trying to make use of this gorgeous weather and had the opportunity to take our angel swimming which was pretty neat.  We took her out to my Aunt and Uncle's pool, dressed her in her new bathing suit directly from Hawaii and Jade seemed to love it.  Jade and daddy together in the pool; great time.  There was no crying, only some laughing, even when she did a face plant in the water.  Afterwards we set up the lawn chairs to get some suntanning in and put Jade in between us in her car seat.  The little bugger kept wiggling herself down and nearly out of the seat as she laughed away :)


There were a few new people for Jade to meet as well as some outings with more familiar faces.  First there was reconnecting with one of my best childhood friends for a walk in the forest and later a paddle out in West Van for me which was very relaxing.  We had Marissa and Peter over for a bbq at my parents and also while over there a great stroll with Sandra through Lynn Headwaters. Then a rainy day with Oma, Uncle Tim and Aunty Rachel spent partly at Granville Island. A nice Sunday afternoon doing lunch with GG (my Grandpa and Bev) which was nice and another night was dinner with Aunty Rachel's family where clearly Jade was the main attraction, lol.  There was also chilling on the patio of Milestones with Aunty Laine then going to surprise daddy at work on a gorgeous Vancouver day. Jade also took in her first wedding which also meant we all had to dress up, a rarity as you all know. Another outing was a two night stay down in Birch Bay with Tante Mette thanks to her in laws allowing us to stay at their cabin.  Sooooo much relaxing and chillacking done; just us 3 gals movie watching & some shopping; very much needed.  I must say though, it was great just us 3 girls but I did miss Ted but missing him makes coming home a great thing.  The end of August was also Opa's 82nd birthday...Happy Birthday Opa!!!

In the arms of GG

Lunch out with Bev

With Tante Mette, Oncle Mike & Gracie

with Aunty Laine

With Aunty Rachel

The past week was spent hoping and wishing Jade would explode as she hadn't gone in over 4 days then had only 2 very small ones.  When the extreme code brown happened, I had to contact Mettehehe...no one was home though so I did have to clean it all up :)

Jade has found some new things to occupy her time with and seems to love every one of them equally at different times.  Grandma went in to get her a new sweater and when she couldn't find the right size, came out with a jolly jumper.  All you on facebook have seen the video so you know just how happy she is in that thing.  Then there is her little play mat I got down in Birch Bay; Ted had a great time with her on that mat today.  She was having so much fun, giggling and talking away...probably could have lied there for hours.  Other times she just loves to lie on a blanket and kick up a storm; of course, more giggling and talking happening there too.  She has now officially rolled over more than once...from her stomach to her back.  Jade can push herself up on her arms and look around, pretty neat to watch her progress.  I would have to say though, one of her favourite toys is her best friend, Gerry.  Gerry the giraffe goes everywhere with us and Jade just holds onto him, often attacking and trying to eat him but it is cute none the less.  What makes this so special to me is that it was one of the first stuffed animals given to her and was from her Aunty Ashlee who can't be here to physically get the love from Jade so Gerry gets that part instead.

Ted and I still look at each other and say "can you believe this is ours?"  Jade is by far the greatest thing that has happened to either of us and showing her off is something we love to do.  The sounds she has started to make and the conversations she is having with us put are hearts over the moon; words can't describe just how amazing this all is.  We had a photo shoot with a coworker of my dad's and so far the pics look great & we have some keepers; can't wait to see the rest of them :)

Ted has said adios to Paladin in favour of working for Tom Lee doing inventory in the guitar department.  It's great for us all as he LOVES his job, I have never heard him say work and love in the same sentence, let alone several times.  I could hear it in his voice the first day he called; it's great!  It also means we get to spend our weekends and evenings together...:) Ted has also started up school again, 2 classes this semester, one of which I am looking forward to going through separately & brushing up on my psyche.  That course is online so makes it easier for me to follow, lol...important thing, lol.

September is going to a be a busy registration month for Jade and I.  We are registering for Mother Goose, Water Babies, Music something or other and also going to begin the training to be a "Roots of Empathy" baby.  We would love to get Jade into doing some commercials or that so if anyone has any tips or direction on how to do that, please let us know.  It also is crunch time to sell this place of ours...3 offers have been made and they all fell through, what great luck we have eh?

I'm racking my brain here, trying to remember all the great things that happen but I am so bloody brain dead these days that the remembering part is not happening.  Thus, to wrap this up, the past month has been a time of increased chatter, rolling over and laughter.  Next months update will mark 5months as well as our 2nd anniversary.

At the Lions game with Grandpa & me

Sound asleep at Grandma & Grandpa's (Surely safe to say that my mom more than loves this little girl, lol)

Sound asleep again with two of her protectors watching over (Grandpa & Dexter)

1/4 Way to 1 yr

Wooheee, can't believe it has already been 3months since our little miracle angel came into this world.  Like I have said time and time again, I wouldn't trade motherhood in for anything; I definitely think I have found my calling in life. Everyday there is a new joy brought to our lives courtesy of Jade in one way or another.

During the past few weeks, Jade has become more of an individual with her defining characteristics and great personality.  Whether it being that she has discovered she has spit to make bubbles, or the constant rootin' tootin', or the random giggling, we always find a reason to laugh each day.  We have come to the conclusion that most heart melting and greatest feeling in the world has to be when Jade looks at us and gets all giddy with a big smile on her face.  There is also the little conversations to be had, the cooing back and forth with her, ohhhh, that is just amazing.

Jade continues to meet new people what seems to be every week.  She had a great visit with Ted's cousin Deanna and her little guy Ian; then there was my cousin Riley and his buddy Derek; to Ed & Nina who visited with Oma & Opa; and more people from my work.  Ian provided us with quite the learning experience in terms of what we need to do to childproof our place when Jade begins to roam around like him.  He also provided us with one of the most adorable moments when he leaned in to give Jade a little kiss. 

Then there was Riley whose initial reaction was "don't give me that thing" & was scared to hold her but quickly took a love to her and now disappears & has little conversations with her.  He also now refers to her as the little diva, lol.

 
On a sadder note, not too sure what Jade is going to do when her Uncle Tim leaves for boot camp and she only has her dad's wookies to listen to.  Now she'll have her Aunty Ashlee to go visit and Uncle Tim (& Rachel) down the road.

Of course, Grandma and Grandpa continue to spoil her and help us provide her with what she needs.  It is pretty clear she recognizes them as well now as she smiles every time she sees them or when we say we are going over there.

As many saw by the pictures, Jade and I went to the Pride parade with my parents and loved every minute of it.  Jade was definitely an object of affection for many as evidenced by all the free give-aways she got :). It is really neat to see my dad with Jade and just how she has stolen his heart; always the one to calm her down and also making sure she has everything to be safe. 

As of August 5th, Jade was a whopping 9.5 lbs.  She is following her 3rd percentile curve (apparently the majority of babies do not follow their curves as closely as she is) in terms of weight which means 97% of babies her age are bigger than her.  She remains in the 20th percentile for height and is one very healthy little gal.  The doc thinks she is going to be a little girl for life which you wouldn't think looking at Ted and I but in reality, both our mom's families would not be considered tall people outside of us and our siblings.   Unfortunately the doctor does think we may have a few issues with Jade and that she does have something wrong...

Ok, ok, it was said in a sarcastic manner so the doc really thinks Jade is healthy :) Should I get to the point of this remark?  Well, Jade enjoys to stretch out in the hammock of her little bath, even without water.  Also, when the doctor is pushing on her legs to check her hips, Jade starts laughing which apparently all other babies break down into tears.  Most humorous, well maybe disturbing to some, is the fact that when Ted was watching Game of Thrones, Jade got all giddy every time the dwarf came on the screen in the same manner she does when she sees the MMA fighters (oooh la la, sweaty and built men).  She also tends to have a habit of giggling when she sees people are crying...uh oh.

Let's see, what has Jade done in the past month worth noting?  Hmmmm, well she made it to her first B.C. Lions game which she was fairly good at but did get fussy near the end.  However, despite that, we will try it again on Saturday night, especially since she seems to love watching the guys on t.v.

A milestone worth noting, she has rolled over once, ironically on Ashlee's birthday. She is able to identify Ted and I as well as able to follow objects. Very much like me, she is unable to remain still for any given length of time and thus is constantly movin and shakin those little arms and legs. Last Sunday night during a music exchanging session between my mom & Ted, they discovered Jade's extreme love for...none other than....Queen.

I know I have probably missed out on telling ya'all about our little angel but there is just so much to tell that it would take page upon page to get it all out.  We continue to love every minute of our new family and just keep thinking about the future and all it has waiting for us.